Tessa Thompson explains Hedda’s haunting final shot that leaves you guessing about her fate

by

The new Prime Video series, Hedda, adapts the classic play Hedda Gabler with a deliberately open-ended finale that’s likely sparked discussion. To understand the meaning behind the haunting last scene, Digital Spy spoke directly with Tessa Thompson.

As the movie ends, Hedda is on the verge of taking her own life, but she hesitates when she finds out Eileen survived a shooting. She then gives a mysterious smile, leaving the audience unsure of her next move – a departure from the original play, where Hedda does commit suicide.

When asked about the meaning of Hedda’s mysterious smile, Thompson explained to Digital Spy that she doesn’t want to reveal too much and allow the audience to form their own interpretations. However, she praised writer and director Nia DaCosta, saying she included a particularly beautiful piece of stage direction.

What to Read Next

Sometimes, as an actor, you might ignore stage directions and just do what feels right. But this particular direction was so well-written – it described Hedda being caught between a sense of hopeless finality and a glimmer of dark possibility, unable to do anything but offer a strange, almost mischievous smile.

Honestly, it was just stunning, and I really wanted to try and recreate that feeling in my gameplay. I wanted to capture what made it so special.

Thompson explained that the situation was complex and layered, possessing both beauty and uncertainty. He simply aimed to represent it as accurately as possible.

The moment I read it, it stuck with me – both the story itself and the type of person who could handle such a wild night. It felt like all they could do was brace themselves and accept what happened. I was just amazed by her strength.

Watch Hedda on Prime Video

It’s also uncertain what the future holds for Hedda’s husband, George, and her lover, Judge Brack, though their fates aren’t as prominently addressed as Hedda’s. However, the actors who played them, Tom Bateman and Nicholas Pinnock, have shared their thoughts on what happens next, and it doesn’t seem promising.

According to Bateman, a major weakness of George as a character is his inability to consider other perspectives. This prevents him from learning and developing, because he’s limited by his own privileged background, essentially trapping him in a cycle of stagnation.

Bateman explained that George struggles to see things from other people’s perspectives, and because of that, he won’t be open to learning or growing from their experiences. He suggested that being able to understand different viewpoints is important for personal development, something George isn’t capable of.

Once the story ends, I think George would likely return to his old ways. He might succeed or fail at things, but deep down, he’d remain fundamentally unchanged. That’s just part of who he is – his biggest weakness.

I’m really intrigued by the dynamic between Hedda and Brack! Even though his character tries to kill her, the actor who plays Brack, Pinnock, seems to think their complicated relationship won’t change much. He told Digital Spy that he believes things will just continue as they always have between them, which is pretty wild considering everything that’s happened!

That seems to be the first instance where their frustration really boiled over, but they’re strangely dependent on each other. I suspect if you fast forward a few weeks or months, they’d be repeating the same pattern at another event.

Hedda is available to watch now on Prime Video.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available! You can purchase Ariana & Witches at newsstands or online for only £8.99.

Read More

2025-10-30 00:22